Hincapie getting over Scheldeprijs injuries, more optimistic for Paris-Roubaix

US Paris-Roubaix contender George Hincapie appears to be recovering solidly after his bad crash in Wednesday’s Scheldeprijs, allaying any fears that he might have to cancel his participation in Paris-Roubaix on Sunday.

The American scraped his right hip and banged his left knee in two crashes during the Belgian semi-Classic. The first came 94 kilometres into the race, while the second one came inside the final 25 kilometres. He was a non-finisher in the race and said on Wednesday evening that he would assess his when he takes part in a scheduled reconnaissance of the cobbles.

Thursday’s stint on the bike went well, although he opted to stick to smoother roads to aid his recovery. He said afterwards that things were less worrying than before. “I feel better - a bit better than I did yesterday,” he said. “I'm more optimistic. I was feeling bruised and battered yesterday. Today I didn't feel as bad on the bike, so that's a good sign.”

Hincapie was a good sixth in the Tour of Flanders last Sunday, and is hoping to perform well in Paris-Roubaix. While riders like Fabian Cancellara (Leopard Trek) are bigger favourites, he will hope to profit from the BMC Racing Team’s strength and clip away before the famous velodrome finish.

Hincapie has pinpointed Paris-Roubaix as the biggest remaining target of his pro career. He was second behind Tom Boonen in 2005, and has also placed fourth, fourth, sixth, sixth, eighth and ninth.